ORLANDO – Following its 1-1 draw that clinched a spot in the Big 12 Tournament last weekend, the UCF women’s soccer team hosts the Iowa State Cyclones in its regular-season finale Thursday night at the UCF Soccer Complex.
In addition to the match being the regular-season finale, UCF will also celebrate Senior Knight. The Black and Gold will honor their 10-member senior class, which includes eight student-athletes and two student managers. Among those recognized will be Bella Douglas, Jessica McCullen, Naomi Clark, Jada Silvest, Maria Tregansin, Payton Patrick, Brooke Mulroney, and Brianne MacDonald, as well as student managers Aspen Dunn and Alejandro Walker Da Silva.
The contest is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. Live stats will be available to follow on UCF.StatBroadcast.com.
The Knights will enter Thursday's game with an overall record of 10-4-2 through 16 games and a Big 12 mark of 5-3-2, which places them seventh in the league with 17 points. In the NCAA RPI Rankings, the Black and Gold also clock in at No. 26. The Knights, whose conference rank could still change depending on Thursday’s result, have secured a spot in next week’s eight-team 2026 Big 12 Soccer Tournament presented by Allstate that will be held Nov. 9-14 at the new Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Mansfield, Texas.
Looking to rebound after their five-game winning streak was snapped at home versus Houston on Oct. 25, the Black and Gold traveled to Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Kansas State last Thursday.
The Knights were able to apply some early pressure against the Wildcats, but ultimately failed to capitalize as the two sides went into halftime at a 0-0 stalemate. UCF’s offensive leader Naomi Clark was at the center of the Knights’ pressure, putting up four shots in the first half and just narrowly missing a score in the 40th minute after her third shot sailed just high above the crossbar.
UCF continued to send pressure as the final 45 minutes began, thanks to shots by Clark and Ella Hollaran, but K-State was able to break the stalemate first thanks to a header in the 58th minute by Allison Marshall.
Hoping to secure a spot in the Big 12 Tournament, the Black and Gold fought back quickly with an Ainsley Moy equalizer the very next minute to tie the game back up at 1. On the play, Moy was fed a beauty of a pass from Tyra Eriksen, as the Swede found Moy all the way from the right side of the field. Moy did the rest from there, setting up and firing her shot in the right side of the net for her third score of the season. Eriksen’s assist represented her third on the year, giving her a new career-high for assists in a single-season.
Following a 30-minute lightning delay, both sides looked to break the tie with a barrage of shots. However, both goalies remained stout, including UCF’s Kaïna Cesar, who made two clutch saves in the match’s final minutes to secure the draw.
The draw gave UCF another point in the conference standings to clinch a spot in the 2026 Big 12 Soccer Tournament presented by Allstate.
In all, the Knights outshot the Wildcats 15-8 in the contest, with 6-4 on target advantage. Clark led the way with six shots, which gives her a career high for shots in a single-season with 51. In goal, Cesar notched three saves to improve her record to 7-3-2 in the box this season.
SEASON LEADERS
Senior forward Naomi Clark leads the Knights offensively in the season with 11 goals and 25 points. She also paces the team in shots (51), shots on goal (25), and game-winning goals (3). Her 11 goals are good enough for second in the Big 12, and she also ranks second in the league in goals per game (0.69) and points per game (1.56). Junior midfielder Ainsley Moy is the team’s top assist leader, as she has dished out eight assists on the season. She also ranks second on the team in points with 14 and is tied for third in the conference in total assists and is in sole possession of third place in assists per game (0.50), as well as in the top 25 nationally in both categories. Junior goalkeeper Kaïna Cesar leads the way in the box with 46 saves, four clean sheets, and a 7-3-2 season record. She also ranks second in the Big 12 in saves per game with a 3.83 average.
ONE OF THE BIG 12’S BEST
Transfer senior forward Naomi Clark has been a fantastic addition for the Knights this season, as she is in the top three in the Big 12 Conference in several offensive categories. Her 11 goals place her second in the league. She is also second in the conference with a 0.68 goals per game average, and a 1.56 points per game clip. Her 25 points also rank third in the Big 12, effectively cementing herself as one of the conference’s best and most feared attackers.
UCF TO CELEBRATE SENIOR KNIGHT
Before Thursday night’s matchup between the Knights and Cyclones, UCF women’s soccer will honor their 10-member senior class on the pitch. Among those recognized will be Bella Douglas, Jessica McCullen, Naomi Clark, Jada Silvest, Maria Tregansin, Payton Patrick, Brooke Mulroney, and Brianne MacDonald, as well as student managers Aspen Dunn and Alejandro Walker Da Silva.
Forever part of Knight Nation. Join us for Senior Knight on Thursday vs. Iowa State! 🖤💛 https://t.co/tXSxCBtluH
— UCF Women's Soccer (@UCF_WSoccer) November 3, 2026
HOME SWEET HOME
The Knights have put together a solid record at home so far on the season as they hold an impressive 6-1-1record. UCF opened the season unbeaten at the UCF Soccer Complex through its first seven home matches. The team will look to finish out the season at home on a high note in the regular-season finale against Iowa State on Nov. 5 and posted a 7-1-2 home record a season ago.
CLARK NAMED TO TOP DRAWER SOCCER’S MIDSEASON TOP 100 LIST
Senior forward Naomi Clark has been named Top Drawer Soccer’s Midseason Top 100 List. This list recognizes the top collegiate players in the country based on their performances throughout the first half of the season. Checking in at No. 34, Clark is the fourth-highest ranked player in the Big 12 Conference. Clark previously earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 2 after tallying her first career hat trick in a win over UAB. She also earned Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week Honorable Mention accolades that same week.
ABOUT IOWA STATE
The Cyclones will visit The City Beautiful for their season finale, entering the matchup with a 4-10-4 overall record while still searching for their first conference victory with a 0-8-2 Big 12 record. Iowa State is currently on a five-match losing streak after dropping its final home contest 2-0 to Oklahoma State. ISU holds a pair of draws in league play against Utah and Arizona State, and its last victory came in early September against Missouri State at home.
Iowa State was projected to finish 16th in the Big 12 preseason rankings after going 1-8-2 in conference play and finishing 15th in 2025. The Cyclones' 2025 season concluded with a 2-2 draw against Kansas State on the road. Now in their 31st season competing in the Big 12, the Cyclones have yet to capture a conference championship.
Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team members Alaina Villa and Megan Walters lead the team with three goals each. Junior midfielder Morgan Goodman paces the team with four assists and Sophie Forrester leads with 28 shots and 15 of those on target. Goalkeeper Eme McClenahan anchors the defense with 85 saves and a .802 save percentage. Her 85 saves lead the Big 12.
The Cyclones are led by Matt Fannon, who is in his seventh season as ISU’s head coach. He has compiled a 28-66-24 overall record since taking over the program in 2020 and announced that the 2026 season will be his last as he will retire following the conclusion of the season.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. IOWA STATE
Thursday's contest will mark the first official all-time meeting between the Knights and Cyclones. The two teams previously met up for what looked to be the first all-time matchup in 2024 in Ames, but it ended in a no contest because of a weather stoppage with the teams tied at 0-0 the 67th minute. This will be their first meeting at the UCF Soccer Complex.
KNIGHTS IN THE TOP 25 THIS SEASON
While outside of the Top 25 this week, UCF has been nationally ranked four times this season, most recently checking in at No. 23 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Week 6 Top 25 Poll. UCF has climbed as high as No. 13 this season after previously ranked No. 14 on Aug. 25. The Knights have also been ranked No. 13 on Sept. 1, No. 25 on Sept. 15, and No. 23 on Sept. 22.
The No. 13 ranking marked UCF’s highest since the 2017 season. The Knights are 1-4-1 this season when nationally ranked and 81-35-20 all-time as a ranked team, including a 43-15-10 mark at home. This season against nationally ranked teams, the Black and Gold hold an unblemished 3-0-1 record.
MOY TABBED BIG 12 POW AND TDS TEAM OF THE WEEK
Junior midfielder Ainsley Moy was named both the Big 12 Co-Offensive Player of the Week and to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week on Oct. 14 after helping lead UCF to a 2-0-0 record with a pair of goals and an assist the previous week. A native of Freehold, New Jersey, Moy first recorded her team-leading seventh assist of the season in UCF’s 2-1 road victory over TCU on Thursday, then followed it up with the first brace of her career to lead the Knights to a 3-1 home win over Oklahoma State on Sunday. Her five points on the week led the conference.
The weekly conference honor and the TDS Team of the Week recognition are both the first of Moy’s career. The Big 12 weekly accolade is the fourth of the season for UCF, as sophomore defender Kalena Bellini earned Defender of the Week (Oct. 7), junior keeper Kaïna Cesar Goalkeeper of the Week (Oct. 7) and senior forward Naomi Clark Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 2).
UNDEFEATED AGAINST SUNSHINE STATE FOES
UCF went a perfect 3-0 on the season versus Sunshine State opponents with wins over Florida, South Florida and North Florida. The Knights started the season with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Gators and followed that up with a 2-0 victory at USF the following week. After having a match at FIU postponed due to heavy rainfall and unplayable field conditions, UCF then capped in-state play with a 1-0 home win over UNF.
The Knights are now 7-1-0 against Sunshine State opponents over the last two years.
MAKE THAT FIVE STRAIGHT AGAINST SEC OPPONENTS
The Knights hold wins over both Florida and No. 21 LSU on the season to move their win streak over SEC opponents to five. UCF has defeated both Florida and LSU twice during the streak, as well as No. 8 Georgia at home in 2024.
The Black and Gold’s last non-victory against an opponent from the SEC was Aug. 25, 2024, when they drew with Florida in Gainesville. The Knights’ last loss to an SEC foe came on Aug. 24, 2023, at Georgia.
COACH TIFF TO REPRESENT USWNT AT 2027 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak has rejoined the U.S. Women's National Team as a current assistant coach on Emma Hayes' staff. Roberts Sahaydak has been with the USWNT a number of times during 2026, as she took part in the team's January Camp, in February for the SheBelieves Cup, in April for the April Camp (friendlies vs. Japan), and in June for the June Camp (friendlies vs. Brazil). She will remain on staff and represent her home nation at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil.
As a player, Roberts Sahaydak won both Olympic Gold (1996) and the 1999 World Cup with the USWNT. She went on to earn 112 caps for her country. She also previously spent time as an assistant coach for the USWNT in 2022 and 2023 for the 2023 Women's World Cup that was held in Australia/New Zealand.
FRESHMAN DANIELA OCAMPO TOOK PART IN 2026 FIFA U-20 WORLD CUP
Freshman midfielder Daniela Ocampo represented her home nation of Costa Rica at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup from Sept. 5-27 in Poland.
Despite Costa Rica having their run come to a close in the group stage with an 0-3 record, Ocampo started all three matches for Costa Rica. The national appearance wasn’t the first for Ocampo, as she previously competed for Costa Rica at both the 2024 U-20 World Cup as well as the 2025 U-17 World Cup where she was a team captain for her home nation.
MOST CURRENT PROS IN THE BIG 12
UCF women's soccer has the most current pros of any Big 12 institution with 28. Former goalkeeper Genesis Perez Watson was the latest Knight to go pro as the 2025 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree signed a professional contract with Atlético Madrid of the Spanish Liga F this summer.
Fellow 2025 All-Big 12 honorees Liz Worden and Rajanah Reed also went pro, as Worden plays for Racing Power FC of Liga BPI and Reed for Dallas Trinity FC of the USL Super League.
UP NEXT
Following Thursday’s regular-season finale, the Knights will head to Mansfield, Texas, to take part in the 2026 Big 12 Tournament presented by Allstate that will run Nov. 9-14 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. The tournament will open with the quarterfinal round on Monday, Nov. 9 and will be single-elimination format.